After doing 2 Contiki's previously, I was really impressed with the quality of the TopDeck tour. All the hotels were way better than I expected (some really incredible ones), and the excursions were all absolutely worth it! Our tour guide, Purna, was a highlight of the trip, with his great sense of humour, he really kept us entertained. Only low point was that it rained most of the trip but it didnt stop us from having the absolute best time! I'll defs do another TopDeck tour :)
Eman is extremely professional while also being fun to be around, informative and always helpful and supportive. He not only led through the tour in a very personal and approachable way but could also spice up the tour by giving tips on local specialities, things that would be easy to miss without a guide and general recommendations when traveling in Bali. He is very respectful towards the travelers and creates a personal connection with each one, which makes the tour a lot more enjoyable. He respects and addresses the wishes of the group as well as of the individual. It is easy to see that Eman is not only passionate about his job, but also about the people he is traveling with and the country that they are traveling through, making the clients aware of local customs and things to consider when interacting with locals, which helps the immersion and aids the travelers to avoid pitfalls in Bali. This makes Eman one of the highlights of the tour. A personal highlight for me was the atmosphere within the group, which was very friendly, as well as the well structured activities and the good balance between relaxing and exciting use of time. Thus, each traveler could structure the trip as they wanted while still feeling as a part of the group! The personal highlight was the snorkeling trip since it has been a lifelong dream to see sea turtles in the wild.
My 12 day Bali intro tour was absolutely incredible! Our group leader Rachel went above and beyond every single day. She was always informative and approachable, and really made the trip so amazing! The trip had the perfect balance of activities and spare time to do as you choose. There was a range of ages in the group; however, everyone still got on so well and made friends for life. I couldn't have asked for more.